Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Cindi & Twinkie on February 27, 2012 at 1:37pm

I am so excited for you!  We recently added Logan to our family.  I contacted the breeder and he was 12 weeks when I decided on him.  I know that some breeders release pups as early as 7 weeks but I would suggest you go with a breeder that keeps them longer.  Logan was wonderfully socialized and had lots of great puppy skills like not crying in his crate, walking on a leash and being still for some love.  We paid a bit less than his $400 asking price because I had to drive from Georgia to Michigan to get him.  Our breeder was wonderful and so easy to talk to.  Not all breeders are like that.  They are EXTREME dog-people and some are not also people-people (just like anyone).  They are also busy and not all respond very quickly, especially if they currently have a litter.  Good luck on your search, having time on your side is a wonderful thing!

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Permalink Reply by GPN on February 27, 2012 at 2:18pm

I spent $600.  Males and females were the same price.   This included the first series of shots and worming.   I tried several corgi rescue operations but two never responded after I filled out multiple page forms. One called my neighbors.  A neighbor said we are a social neighborhood (true) so I should have a social dog.  That apparently was a disqualifier.  The dog was asocial and needed a recluse to be its owner.  Or something like that.  So my point is that even if you were willing to consider a rescue you might not overcome the no-one-is-good-enough syndrome.

You should look on line for breeders in your area and visit one.  Someone that doesn't want you to visit is a "no go."  Another response I got, from a so-called breeder in MA, was "we just moved out here and there was a death in the family and the puppies were just born in Utah we can have it shipped to you COD."   That is of course stupid.  I wrote back and said I had to meet the dog first and that was the last I heard from that breeder.  Some of these so-called breeders are just importing from very poor conditions places in Russia and elsewhere.

Once you have located a breeder  check the Internet to make sure there aren't a heap of negative references out there.  You can try searching on "puppy mill" (with quotation marks) and the breeder's name.  You have to be careful because there are some dog hoarders out there who try to pass themselves off as breeders.  

You can look for AKC registration which doesn't have any enforcement abilities but still it is a step a breeder will take that a lot of disreputable types will not.  

Some people will tell you that the "only way" to work with a breeder is someone you know personally who personally places dogs with pre-selected people etc.  The situation is that you might never be good enough to adopt in the eyes of some rescue operations, and a lot of ultra-serious dog owners don't consider anyone good enough to breed except the ones who don't do it for money, and since the friends-of-friends don't know you, you don't get a dog that way.    

So ultimately you just have to do some homework and research and hope for the best.  On the positive side there really are some decent people who breed dogs and find them good homes, notwithstanding rumors to the contrary.  But you really need to commit to making a good faith effort.   There are lists of warning symptoms out there on the net, for example, don't just send a check to someone who wants to drop ship you a dog, don't do business with someone who wants to meet you somewhere with a puppy and takes cash only.  

A final point: the puppies come when the puppies come, at a good place it's not a production schedule.  So, much as with a human child, it might be advisable to consider that you might not be able to time the puppy's arrival "when convenient" as you might do when purchasing a car.  You are going to have to work around the puppy's needs in your life so it is best to get into that mindset ASAP.  

In some ways it is more initially demanding than an infant human.  My son stayed home with his Mom for nine months and then went off to infant care so there were blocks of time when he was on his own and under good supervision. That is very expensive for a puppy and truth is you want the dog to bond with you esp. since puppyhood is so short.  You can figure one hour of crate time per month of age which means, in sum, that the first six months are going to require some real juggling.  I have my corgi with me here in the office right now!  (In his crate)

I got a number of books, there are a zillion of them, but I consider the Dogs for Dummies book to be a very solid general resource, it also has some useful information about how to deal with breeders and what to expect.   One of the things you have going for you is that the worst breeders are looking for a quick buck and a quick sale and so will tend to the top ten breeds.

Greg N

 

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Markley on February 27, 2012 at 2:38pm

I paid $500 for Seanna, but some dogs from better quality breeders go for up to $1500.  Of course if you're open to a rescue dog, they are much cheaper, and you are saving a life that hasn't always been so wonderful.

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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on February 27, 2012 at 6:15pm

You might check out Jaonna Kimball's blog (Ruffly Speaking)(Blacksheep Cardigans.com?).  She has lots of opinions (like many of us) and she does have some things to say about breeders.  If you can find someone who's active in the 'corgi community' and actively/successfully showing their dogs, that's a plus. 

I'd look for someone who does not breed too often, has the litters inside the home (for socialization), not in the garage or barn, someone who interviews YOU to see if you're good enough for their dog, who makes you sign a contract requiring among other things that you agree to relinquish the dog to no one but themselves if it doesn't work out.  Look for someone who is obviously very committed to and protective of their animals.  Ask what age they release the litter;  if they keep the litter together until 10-12 weeks, I'd say that's a plus (for socialization among the pups); as long as the breeder has time for attention and socialization at this age, I'd think it's good for the pups and shows commitment on the breeder's part (costs them time and money).

Nearby has its advantages -- our breeder is under an hour away, and always available for advice/consultation and even boarding the dogs (we're reluctant to take advantage of this, once we realized how much it's asking).

I'd try to find references, other people who have that breeder's dogs.

Do your training homework NOW.  Read some books, plan your work, then work your plan.  If I had it to do over again, I'd make a calendar, keep a logbook, write out every command I want to teach myself and the puppy.  Make sure everybody in the household is on the same page with training.  Once puppy arrives, you'll be too busy to learn how to train a puppy.

HAVE FUN.

And congratualtions on 'being approved' to mycorgi.com -- as I understand, the membership requirements are rather stringent -- I think you have to be able to fog a mirror, operate an actual internet browser, and clean dog hair out of a computer fan.    :-)

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Permalink Reply by Kaley and Ravioli on March 1, 2012 at 2:19pm

thanks for all the info, especially about the planning training early! 

i have done tons and tons of research on the breed and on breeders and i feel like i'm well versed on the breeds history and on what to look for in a breeder. however, training is something that is going to be new for me because i've never owned a dog as a puppy, thus i have never had the experience of training one. i do plan on heavily training my pup though. i'm very serious about having him be well behaved and obedient. for example, i don't want him to be really jumpy and hyper if someone comes over to visit, or i don't want him sitting next to the table STARING at me while i eat (it makes me so uncomfortable when dogs do that!) i also want to be confident that he will be trusted to stay near me if i let him off the leash. i'm nervous to take on this task, as i'm not entirely sure yet how to go about training him the way i want him to behave. (simple commands like sit, down, stay, i'm not too terribly worried about) i need to start planning soon!

as an update, it has been a week and i still have not heard anything from any of the 8 breeders i emailed =( i know they are busy, but i'm getting so nervous! what if others get the last of a litter because they called and i waited weeks to get an email back? did anyone have to wait a few weeks to get a response from a breeder?

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Permalink Reply by GPN on March 1, 2012 at 3:10pm

Sometimes breeders ain't got no muffin in the oven.  They often carefully plan where the male will come from, especially if they're going for show quality. And corgis are about 27th in popularity, so you can't just get a litter going and expect it to sell.  And, good breeders don't breed the females too many times.  

I think it wouldn't hurt to make phone calls.  

One way to avoid a jumpy dog is not to make a big deal of your arrivals and departures.  Ignore the dog while leaving (don't say goodbye or try to get in last pets) and ignore him for five or ten minutes upon your return, unless it has been so long you think he REALLY has to go.  That way the dog just learns that in his life people come and go and sometimes he gets to go and sometimes he stays behind.  

Don't. Feed. The Dog. From your Table.  Ever.    Some of us also thinks it is helpful not to feed the dog people food because that way he won't associate the smells of your meals with his own gratification.

I think a good first test of your interest in a dog is to see if you can get a book (such as Dogs for Dummies or another such book) and do two one hour reading sessions.  You will learn a great deal.   I'm doing my first puppy with Dipper and I'm basically learning from (a) my books and (b) here and (c) neighbors who have reasonable dogs.  Once you *have* a dog, you will find, there are a large number of dog owners willing to share their experiences.  

A puppy, I'm discovering, is a great deal of work, and particularly difficult is arranging for visits not to be too few and far between.  I'm taking him in (in a crate) to my office at work (I have my own space).  But since I am not always physically in my office it is still a chore; and I can't always be the one to come home and get him out.  Ceertainly the general rule of no more than one hour of crate per month of life (no more than one hour of bladder and poop control per month of life) is a pretty tough restriction though it should change with time.    So it might be wise to figure out who can take your dog for a couple of hours a day if you have to be out of the house a lot.  Otherwise you might need to paper train the animal or adopt one older.  

Some of the people here think you should adopt a dog at 3 months rather than 2 and as one who has an 8 wk old puppy (that I got at 7 weeks) I'll say there is some wisdom in that. On the other hand I'm getting a chance to bond with a very young animal.  In the human baby books I have read that a lot of physical bonding with parents in infancy makes not just for a better babyhood and childhood but even a better relationship in adolescence.  I have to think that is true for dogs too, one of the reasons I decided not to adopt a grown up dog.  On the other hand there's no one I can blame if I don't get him trained right...

I think the experience of raising a puppy is worth the trouble.  

Greg 

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Permalink Reply by Jane on March 1, 2012 at 3:57pm

When I emailed breeders it took most of them over a month to respond. You can try calling if you feel comfortable doing that, sometimes it's just easier. 

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Permalink Reply by Jenny, Tucker, & Zoey on March 1, 2012 at 11:03pm

I bought Tucker off Craigslist at 5 months old for $75. Ended up having a double ear infection, hookworms, and severe tapeworms. Spent a lot on vet bills. Seemed so sweet and mellow.. once he was healthy, he was absolutely paranoid and terrified of everything. It's been a long (but rewarding) journey. Not what I thought I signed up for.

We adopted Zoey at approx. 2 years old from the shelter for $100 (including shots & spay). Developed spay incontinence, spent $$$$ trying to get that resolved. Great dog though.

I know you were looking for breeder prices, but I thought I'd throw my two cents in there. I love my dogs, but the Craigslist deal sucked. Don't go that way...

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Permalink Reply by Snickmom on March 2, 2012 at 10:40pm

But Jenny, what would have happened to Tucker if you hadn't rescued him?

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Permalink Reply by Jenny, Tucker, & Zoey on March 3, 2012 at 8:37pm

True! I was living with my parents at the time and Tucker would pee himself every time my dad looked at him. My dad loves dogs and would try and bribe him with all sorts of treats to no avail. Those were some stressful times! Tucker and I are very close now, but I didn't exactly go into it looking for a "problem" dog. It wasn't the right timing for that, but we've come out on top. I don't regret it, but I might do things differently the next time around. :)

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Permalink Reply by Cindy Lincoln on March 2, 2012 at 9:39am

Congrats on your decision to get a Corgi!  I have a female about 6 months old now.  She is the first Corgi I have ever owned and just the greatest little dog.  I feel very lucky to have found her when I did.  I got her from a breeder about a half hour's drive from where I live.  I only paid $375.00 for her.  I know that was very inexpensive for a Corgi so I lucked out!!  She has a wonderful disposition (stubborn at times, lol) but trained easily and is friendly to everyone and all other dogs she meets.  She is such a comical little girl and I wouldn't trade her for anything!  Good luck in your search.  It will be such a happy day when you bring home your new bundle!

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Permalink Reply by Kathryn Harbour on March 2, 2012 at 12:05pm

The price can vary if you are willing to adopt an older pup.  Mine was 14 weeks when I got her and the breeder had drastically reduced the price so she could get to her forever home sooner.  There was nothing wrong with her other than she was the runt of the litter, which didn't matter at all to me.  All I noticed was a face that said "You can't help but love me".  Welcome to mycorgi.com and prepare yourself to loose your heart to a companion of a lifetime with a bunny butt. 

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